In general, a driving support system for supporting a driving operation of a vehicle acquires traffic information requiring a deceleration control of a vehicle such as an intersection, a temporary stopping position, a curve or an approaching vehicle ahead by means of an on-vehicle camera or a navigation system. The driving support system carries out a deceleration guide with a voice or a deceleration support through application of a semi-forced braking force based on the acquired traffic information around the vehicle, thereby giving the driver the driving support. In such a driving support, usually, the driving support system uses a standard travel pattern obtained by averaging a certain travel pattern through various driving actions, for example, a recognition of traffic information, a determination and a driving operation through a general driver that are measured based on a predetermined travel model such as a simulation course.
However, a travel pattern of a vehicle running toward an intersection, a temporary stopping position or the like varies depending on various elements such as the road environment in which various traffic elements, for example, the curvature of a road curve, the width or inclination of the road and the like, are present, habits peculiar to the driver, the driving skill of the driver and the like. Accordingly, it is hard to adapt a generalized standard travel pattern to a travel pattern of a driver that reflects the elements. Even if the driving support system gives driving support to the driver based on the generalized standard travel pattern in a predetermined travel model, the driving support intended by the driver is not always carried out but the driver may feel discomfort in some cases.
Conventionally, the driving support system described in Patent Document 1, for example, aims to evaluate the driving skill of a driver subjected to driving support and to determine whether a fuel saving driving operation is achieved or not based on an evaluation item depending on a result of the evaluation. More specifically, the driving support system detects or analyzes travel data, for example, the number of revolutions of the engine the vehicle, the vehicle speed, the flow rate of fuel and the like for which the support is intended, thereby evaluating a learning level of the fuel saving driving operation of the driver for whom the support is intended. Based on a result of the evaluation, it is determined whether the driver is a skilled driver or a beginner for the fuel saving driving operation. Consequently, there is a fuel saving driving evaluation depending on the result of the determination. Thus, the fuel saving driving evaluation is carried out depending on the driving skill of the driver. Consequently, a strict fuel saving driving evaluation is assigned to a skilled driver, while a tolerant fuel saving driving evaluation is assigned to a beginner. The driving support system offers a driving support depending on a result of the evaluation to the driver.